Issued by: Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, DR BEN NGUBANE.
HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS TO RETRIEVE THE REMAINS OF SAARTJIE BAARTMAN FROM FRANCE
During a meeting today in Pretoria between Minister Ngubane and the French Minister of Co-operation, Mr Jacques Godfrain, the very important matter of the return of the remains of Saartjie Baartman, amongst other matters, was raised by Minister Ngubane.
Saartjie Baartman was a woman, who during the earlier part of the nineteenth century, was taken abroad and paraded around Europe as the so called "African Venus". After her death, her remains were kept in the French Museum of Human Science and were never returned to the Country of her birth.
In December, Minister Ngubane added his voice to those of concerned citizens who called for the return of her remains. He then stated "that the return of South Africa to the international community marked the beginning of the process of healing and restoring of our national dignity and humanity. The process would not be complete while Saartjie Baartman's remains were still kept in a museum." The Minister then promised to exhaust all channels to retrieve her body in order to be afforded a proper burial in her Country of birth.
After the meeting the Minister said that he was encouraged by Minister Godfrains's positive response, who said that the political role-players in France were sympathetic to the call for the return of Saartjie Baartman, but that the matter was now in the hands of that country's independent scientific community.
Minister Ngubane today reiterated his earlier sentiments adding that her remains were not simply scientific specimens.
Minister Ngubane indicated that he would now proceed with discussions involving the French scientific community, as well as the concerned citizens at home in order to bring this chapter, which reflected one of the tragedies of our history, to a close.
Contact persons: Frans Basson (021) 454 850/70